‘Moonies’ founder Sun Myung Moon dies at 92

SELF-STYLED messiah Sun Myung Moon, whose Unification Church became famous for marrying thousands of people in a single ceremony, has died, aged 92.Moon set up the Church, whose members are often called Moonies, in the 1950s in the South Korean capital, Seoul.He claimed to have millions of members, many in the US, but was accused of brainwashing and profiteering.Moon built up a global business empire, setting up newspapers, arms factories, universities and food distributors.He was a fervent anti-Communist and was closely associated with US President Richard Nixons administration in the early 1970s.Church officials told the Associated Press news agency that Moon died on Monday at a hospital near his home in Gapyeong, north-east of Seoul.He had been admitted to the hospital, which is owned by the Church, two weeks ago suffering from pneumonia.Jesus plea The Church became notorious in the 1960s and 70s, often being accused of brainwashing members, breaking up families and lining Moons pockets.He denied the allegations, but had to spend 11 months in jail after being convicted of tax evasion in 1982. He owned large and lavish properties in the US, founded the Washington Times newspaper and ran numerous businesses across the world in South Korea.But he was dogged by controversy for his whole career.In 2003 he provoked outrage when he used a sermon to condone the Holocaust, claiming that it was the Jews payment for killing Jesus.Moon was born in Pyongan province in what is now North Korea. He claimed that, while he was praying at the age of 15, Jesus appeared to him and asked him to set up Gods kingdom on Earth.Moon said he refused twice, but accepted on the third request.He was later thrown out of the Presbyterian Church and also jailed and tortured by the Communists before he fled to the South.